1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved side brush assembly for a vehicle cleaning apparatus and, more particularly, to a side brush assembly having a rotatable brush wherein the bottom of the brush may swing inwardly and outwardly in a controlled movement upon contact with an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of mechanized vehicle cleaning, rotatable brushes are used to clean a vehicle. Some of these brushes are known as wrap-around rotating brushes wherein the same brush cleans the front side and the back of a vehicle. Other cleaning devices use only a side brush which only cleans the sides of a vehicle or other item being washed. Even though such side brushes are only used to clean the sides of a vehicle, however, the prior art side brushes pivot as a vehicle is being cleaned and thus require bearings to support such pivotal movement. Moreover, prior art side brushes have difficulty in adjusting to different sized vehicles and protrusions which extend from the sides of vehicles as the protrusions encounter the side brush.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a side brush assembly for a vehicle cleaning apparatus which can adjust to different sized vehicles and allows for protruding parts on the vehicle or other item being washed without requiring the use of bearings.
A further object of the invention is to provide a side brush assembly for a vehicle cleaning apparatus wherein the bottom of the rotary brush may swing inwardly and outwardly in a controlled movement.
Another object of the invention is to provide a side brush assembly for a vehicle cleaning apparatus wherein the rotary brush is rotated by a motor mounted on a side frame support member directly above at least a portion of the brush.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a side brush assembly for a vehicle cleaning apparatus wherein the rotatable brush is connected to a drive motor through a flexible coupling which allows movement of the brush in all directions.
The present invention achieves the above and other objects by providing a side brush assembly for a vehicle cleaning apparatus which includes an upper side support member and a lower side support member and an upper support arm attached to the upper side support member and a lower support arm attached to the lower side support member. An outer breakaway end portion is pivotally attached to the lower support arm whereby the end portion may pivot upwardly and outwardly when the brush encounters an obstacle. A control bracket having a slot therein is fixedly attached to the outer end of the breakaway end portion.
The assembly further includes a rotatable brush mounted on a brush shaft with the upper end of the brush shaft being supported by mounting means attached to the upper support arm and the lower end of the brush shaft being received in the slot of the control bracket whereby the lower end of the brush may move freely inwardly and outwardly in the slot. The upper support arm and the lower support arm are adjustably mounted to the upper side support member and the lower side support member, respectively, whereby the upper support arm and the lower support arm may be adjusted inwardly and outwardly with respect to the upper side and lower side support members. The pivot axis of the breakaway end portion is mounted at an angle to the lower support arm. A motor is mounted on the upper support member directly above at least part of the brush for rotating the brush and is connected to the brush shaft by a flexible coupling whereby the brush may flex or tilt in all directions.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the following detailed description and drawings.